Choosing Desktop Publishing Software
Select Software Based on the Primary Task
Which software is best for desktop publishing? The answer: There is no single best program. There are, however, specific programs that are better suited for certain tasks than others. We can roughly divide desktop publishing tasks into six general categories. Some software programs fit only one category, others are found in multiple categories.
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Professional Page Layout Software
Desktop publishing software as a whole is page layout software. But page layout is also a sub-category. Single page artistic layouts or short documents that combine text and graphics require a page layout tool that provides extensive typographic control and graphics handling capabilities. The typical projects for page layout tools include ads, fliers, brochures, newsletters, posters, and business cards. Programs in this category are generally tailored to professional designers.
[PROFESSIONAL PAGE LAYOUT SOFTWARE]
Long Document Composition
Book length publications and other complex, structured documents require a program that can handle repeating elements (headers, footers), table of content and index generation, page numbering, and integration of graphics and perhaps other elements including spreadsheet and database elements. Ideally these programs combine word processing, desktop publishing, and graphics in one package. Extensive text handling capabilities, pagination, and automation of repetitive tasks are characteristic of these tools. Due to their complexity they also have a steep learning curve.
[LONG DOCUMENT COMPOSITION SOFTWARE]
Database-Assisted Publishing
Catalogs, directories, and price lists are examples of documents that are frequently created from database information. These are both long and short documents. The software used should handle the import of and formatting of internal or external data either independently or through the seamless operation with front-ends, add-ons, or "bridges" between the database and the typesetting and formatting software.
[DATABASE PUBLISHING SOFTWARE]
Business or Enterprise Publishing
Page layout, long document, and database-assisted publishing solutions are often all found in a corporate environment. While marketing and promotional materials may be outsourced, other types of business documents that require high-end typesetting and document composition, management, and distribution, (which may include group collaboration for creation and revisions and on-demand printing) and Intranet or Internet-based technologies may be handled in-house.
[CORPORATE aka BUSINESS OR ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING SOFTWARE]
SOHO (Small Business) Publishing
Often small business owners want to produce their own marketing and collateral materials. Users are seldom professional designers so these programs feature ease of learning, ease of use, and a variety of templates for common business documents. The better programs for SOHO use provide PostScript or other export capabilities that make commercial printing of digital files possible as well as desktop printing.
[SOHO (SMALL BUSINESS) PUBLISHING SOFTWARE]
Home Publishing or Creative Printing
Programs for creative printing and computer crafts are primarily designed for desktop printing and simple Web publishing. Ease of use, templates or design wizards, plus large font and clip art collections are characteristic of this class of program. Typical home projects include greeting cards, posters, banners, and photo albums.
[HOME PUBLISHING or CREATIVE PRINTING SOFTWARE]
Web and Electronic Publishing
Many of today's page layout and other document publishing programs now include a variety of electronic publishing capabilities. If your work is exclusively Web Design or you wish to have separate tools for Web Publishing, please visit our About Web Design GuideSite for help choosing the appropriate tools. Otherwise, see the categories above that best fit your print publishing then compare their additional features for Web and Electronic publishing.
Even if Web publishing is not part of what you do, one electronic publishing tool that is becoming increasingly important, even for print publishers, is Adobe Acrobat or similiar tools for producing (not just viewing) PDF files.
Descriptions and Examples for PDF
All-Around
If you can get only one program and your needs encompass several categories such as page layout and long document publishing, there are currently two programs that best fit the all-around category. QuarkXPress and Corel Ventura are both capable programs for both page layout tasks and the specific needs of long document publishing. Adobe PageMaker can handle some long document publishing as well and may be more suitable for those who need a cross between a long document and a SOHO publishing tool.
Overview, Professional Page Layout, Long Document Composition, Database-Assisted, Corporate/Business or Enterprise, SOHO (Small Business) Publishing, Home Publishing
What is desktop publishing? 1:50 min
What is desktop publishing software? 2:00 min
